Crispy chicken skin on the BBQ
I am on a mission to get CRISPY chicken skin on the BBQ. I don't mean to LOOK crispy. I mean to actually "crunch" when bitten into, if that's at all possible. I'm trying to do all the right steps. I dry off the chicken thighs (bone in, skin on) with paper towels, liberally sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper, & spray with oil so it doesn't stick to the grill. On medium high, I start with skin side down so the fat can render and turn after about 7 minutes. Repeat and leave on till done. When done, the chicken is moist, delicious, and beautifully carmalized.......but NOT crispy!!!! Any suggestions?
Best Answer
You are getting a lot of it right by patting the chicken dry and using a dry rub, I think you just need to tweak your method a bit.
Rendering fat and making crispy skin takes time, 7 minutes just isn't long enough for all the fat to melt away and it is searing instead. When I make crispy chicken in the oven I bake it on 190°C (375°F) in a fan oven for 35 minutes - that's thighs and legs, breast may vary.
What I would suggest in the barbecue is to reduce the heat to a bit short of medium, and cook the chicken longer on indirect heat. Once the fat has rendered and the skin gets crispy you can crank the heat up and get some color on it if you aren't happy with the color already. I'd keep the crispy skin away from the high heat though as it's likely to burn, instead caramelize the underside of the chicken.
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How do you get crispy skin on BBQ chicken?
The most important part of getting the skin really crispy is having a good hot oven. That means preheating it to 425 degrees on convection. Convection baking circulates the air around the outside of the chicken as it cooks, so that it cooks faster, and allows it to become much crispier.What makes chicken skin crispier?
The dryer the chicken skin, the better it will crisp when cooked. When you unwrap your chicken from the package, pat it dry on all sides (and inside if it's whole) with paper towels. If you have time, pop it in the fridge uncovered overnight or even for an hour and let it dry out further in there.How do you keep chicken skin crispy?
Just pat dry, spice and cook over medium-high heat. Then you will have crispy goodness for all.Crispy Skin Chicken on the Weber! | Chuds BBQ
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Answer 2
How long before you cook do you salt the meat? The salt will take time to draw out the moisture to give that nice crispy skin. You'll want to salt it (and use any other dry-rub seasonings) at least several hours before cooking - salting ten minutes or so before cooking can make the skin flabby.
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